Whales and Dolphins Watching Zones

Whales and Dolphins Watching Zones

Whales and Dolphins in Costa Rica

Imagine the excitement of seeing a 45-ton whale, the size of a large tour bus, leap into the air and land in the ocean with a tremendous splash. Or watch dozens of dolphins swim alongside your boat and jump playfully in front of the bow.

Anyone who has ever gone dolphin and whale watching knows it is an unforgettable experience. It is fascinating to be near these gentle giants of the sea – intelligent creatures sharing our planet in a world where humans don’t live.

An estimated 25 species of dolphins and whales migrate to and make their home along Costa Rica’s dual coastlines of the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea.

Various dolphin species, including spinner, spotted, common and bottlenose, swim up and down the Pacific Coast from Guanacaste to the Osa Peninsula. The Caribbean Coast is home mostly to bottlenose dolphins in its clear turquoise waters.

Costa Rica is lucky to experience two whale watching seasons every year – one of the reasons why National Geographic rated Costa Rica the 7th best place in the world for whale watching.

The nation’s beloved and most-spotted humpback whales migrate from both the northern and southern hemispheres at different times of year to Costa Rica’s warm, tropical Pacific Ocean to mate, give birth, and socialize. Pseudo-orca and pilot whales also frequent Costa Rica’s waters.

Costa Rica’s most popular destinations for dolphin and whale watching tours are in Quepos and Manuel Antonio on the Central Pacific Coast, off the southern Pacific’s Osa Peninsula and in the protected gulf of Golfo Dulce, and especially at Ballena Marine National Park just south of Uvita in the southern Pacific region – famous for its iconic “whale’s tail” land formation. All are important habitats to endangered humpback whales’ survival. Dolphin watching tours are popular on the Caribbean Coast at Cahuita National Park.

Costa Rica marine tours often combine dolphin and whale watching with snorkeling and scuba diving. Besides dolphins and whales, you also have the chance to spot sea turtles, manta rays, sharks, colorful fish, marine birds, and other abundant marine life.

When to go: Humpback whales migrate to Costa Rica’s Pacific Coast between December and April (northern whales), and from late July to late October (southern whales). Most dolphin species are present year-round.